


When The Stars Align

by darklioness82



Category: Golden Girls
Genre: F/F
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-06
Updated: 2019-05-06
Packaged: 2020-02-27 02:53:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,763
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18730264
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/darklioness82/pseuds/darklioness82
Summary: Dorothy's old friend Jean pays the girls a visit at The Golden Palace. By the end of the week, Rose has come to realise a few things about herself and their friendship.





	When The Stars Align

**Author's Note:**

> Over Easter I binge-watched The Golden Palace and a few episodes of the Golden Girls that I found on YouTube. Whilst not really my fandom, GG is just one of those programs that seemed to be frequently repeated on television, so I was aware it existed and had a general understanding of who the characters were. American serials really aren’t my thing and many of the references and jokes go over my head but I can appreciate why this series was so popular and is still fondly thought of.
> 
>  
> 
> We had a sort of British version in 1977 called You’re Only Young Twice with Peggy Mount and Pat Coombs living in a retirement home. If you can find it somewhere, I’d highly recommend you watch it. Pat Coombs is the naive Rose-esque character and Peggy Mount a more acerbic version of Dorothy.
> 
>  
> 
> Anything that sets my femslash goggles off will always capture my imagination so Series Two, Episode Five of GG ‘Isn’t It Romantic’ where we were introduced to Jean, sparked something but I couldn’t work out where I could go with it in terms of fic. And then I finished watching the ‘The Golden Palace’ spinoff and it struck me how Rose’s romantic life really hadn’t worked out well for her in the end.

**** The hotel kitchen was usually a hive of activity for those who lived there but at the end of this particularly busy day, it was dimly lit and oddly quiet. Many a slice of cheesecake had been shared over the kitchen table, along with a heartfelt conversation or two, but right now it was near enough empty. Dorothy’s old friend Jean had been visiting, but she herself hadn’t been able to get away from Atlanta. Instead, she sent some well wishes in the form of the aforementioned cheesecake for them all to share. It had barely made it to the end of Jean’s second day at The Golden Palace!  

 

Rose sat at the table, as still as a statue, deep in thought with half a glass of water next to her and a pensive look on her face. The door to the dining room opened but she barely took any notice of it, she was that deep in contemplation. Jean saw the blonde, who she’d come to think of as much as a friend as she did Dorothy, and slowly walked over to the table. 

 

“Penny for them?” She enquired jovially as she pulled out a chair next to Rose and gently sat herself down. To her surprise, the other woman looked right up at her with a despondent expression and damp eyes. She reached out and patted Jean’s hands with her own on the tabletop. 

 

“I’ve had such a  _ wonderful _ week. We’ve done so much sightseeing and eating out and trips to the movies, even just lounging by the pool has been nice.” The girls had been so busy since taking on the hotel that Rose hadn’t realised she’d barely had time to relax and enjoy herself. When Jean had first arrived she assumed that they would take it in turns to keep her company but Blanche had pointed out that she was more Rose’s friend now and that she’d probably prefer to spend most of the time with her. So Rose had duly taken it upon herself to make sure Jean had been well looked after and Rose couldn’t say that it had been too much of a hardship. 

 

“It has, hasn’t it?” Jean agreed with a big smile and realised that she felt more relaxed than she had done so in a long time. “But what’s got you so upset?” Jean reached out and captured a lingering tear with the pad of her thumb. 

 

“I don’t want you to go.” Rose grasped hold of Jean’s hands firmly and pleaded with her friend. Jean smiled at her fondly, Rose  _ was _ inclined to flights of fancy and whimsical notions but it was one of her many endearing qualities too.  

 

“Oh darlin’! I’ll come and visit you again soon, I promise.” And she really meant that as this week had made her realise that she had left it far too long between visits.

 

“No Jean, I’m serious. I don’t want you to go.” Rose threaded her fingers through Jean’s and ran her thumb over the back of her hand. “You’ve reminded me what it feels like to be so comfortable with someone, so perfectly in tune with each other. When I’m with you it feels like home and I haven’t felt that way in  _ such _ a long time, not since my Charlie.” It suddenly dawned on Jean what Rose had been trying to say and she felt nervous in a way that both excited and scared her. 

 

“Rose…” Jean’s tone had an edge to it, as though she was warning Rose not to say what she thought she was going to next. 

 

“I know what you’re gonna say but I _really_ _do_ mean it. I think I’ve fallen for you Jean.” Rose felt a great sense of relief at finally saying the words aloud but now that it was out there, she felt quite vulnerable and uncertain.   

 

“You’re just missing companionship Rose. It’s understandable, especially after things not working out with Miles.” It was killing Jean to push Rose away but she didn’t want to take advantage of her friend while she was at a low ebb.

 

“This feels different. I can’t explain it, I don’t have the words.” Rose shook her head and was frustrated that her limitations of life experience, her relative naivety in comparison to the other girls, held her back from making Jean understand what she exactly meant. 

 

“All the more reason to think that you’re confused and I would not want to take advantage of you when you’re in that state of mind.” It was the honorable thing to do and whilst Rose appreciated that, it wasn’t what she wanted. She turned on her chair to face Jean better.   

 

“I’ll prove that I’m not confused, kiss me.” Rose had been wanting to kiss Jean for days now and she hadn’t been able to get the thought of it out of her mind. 

 

“What?!” 

 

“You heard me, kiss me.” Rose was defiant, she knew what she wanted and was fully aware of what she was doing. 

 

“Rose, you’re not gay.” 

 

“No, I’m not but can’t I still be attracted to you? Perhaps it’s just you? I like you Jean, I like you a lot. Unless… unless you don’t like me in that way anymore?” It was the first time she had considered that Jean might not return her affections.  

 

“Rose darlin’, I never stopped. But for a long time now I’ve had to accept that friendship was all it was ever going to be between us because I knew that my feelings could never be reciprocated. Do you know how unfair it is what you’re asking?” 

 

“You think I’m toying with you?” 

 

“I know you wouldn’t deliberately but look at it from where I’m standing. You’ve never so much as had an interest in a woman that way before. I’m not a curiosity or an experiment you can pick up and put down when you decide it’s either too difficult for you or not what you thought it was going to be. And it wouldn’t be the first time someone’s done that to me, so I know how much it can hurt.” 

 

“I’m not going to hurt you Jean, I’ve been thinking about this all week so it’s not a decision I’ve made lightly.” 

 

“All week huh?” Jean seemed surprised that Rose had managed to hide how she was feeling for the duration of her stay. Rose nodded in confirmation. 

 

“Maybe even longer. Within hours of you arriving if felt like you had always been here, like there had been no time at all since we last spent time together. I dunno, we just sort of ‘fit’ together and as time went on there was this funny feeling in my belly, just like falling in love.” Jean briefly closed her eyes against the tide of emotion. 

 

“That feeling? I can’t explain it either but that’s how I feel about you too.” She admitted quietly after a few moments. They looked each other in the eye before they simultaneously leaned closer to each other. Jean pressed her lips against Rose’s and felt the other woman kiss her back. They stayed firmly lip locked for a few seconds before Jean pulled away, the kiss affecting her just as she thought it would and understanding how much it was probably going to hurt afterwards. However, just as she was pulling away, Rose surged forward and it took a few moments for Jean’s brain to catch up. Her heart won over her head and she met Rose’s kisses with equal fervour. Of course, they were just getting carried away with it all when Sophia and Blanche chose that moment to walk in on them. One of them must have flicked the switch on their way in and the kitchen was suddenly flooded with dazzlingly bright light. 

 

“What on god’s green earth….?” Blanche exclaimed in shock while Sophia sniggered. Jean looked between them all, a panicked expression on her face and ran off muttering that she was sorry. Rose went to run after her but Blanche caught her arm. “Rose, has she forced you to…?” Rose went all shy and shook her head. 

 

“No, it was me. I need to go after her...” Rose shrugged off Blanche’s hold on her arm but Blanche took a side step to block her way out. 

 

“You’re going to stay right here and tell us what’s been going on.” 

 

“You know what Blanche? This time it’s none of your goddamn business.” And with that Rose elbowed her way past her friend and took off in search of Jean. 

 

“Can you believe that Sophia? The way she just spoke to me?” 

 

“For once in her life I think the girl’s right. Let her and Jean sort this out between them first.” There was a second’s pause before Sophia leaned into Blanche conspiratorially. “We can pump her for all the juicy details later.” 

 

***

 

Rose caught up with Jean in the room she had been staying in during her visit and knocked on the door. 

 

“Jean, it’s Rose. Can I come in?” Jean sighed and called out in the affirmative. She was busily shoving her clothes haphazardly into her suitcase, her frustration evident. 

 

“I don’t want you to leave like this.” Rose sat down heavily on the foot of the bed. “So I guess it’s my turn to put my feelings out there and get rejected, huh?” Jean came to sit next to Rose and took up her hands in her own. 

 

“I’m not rejecting you Rose but I’m not entirely sure you understand what this means, how it could change your life.” There was a brief pause and Jean rubbed Rose’s hands with her thumb in some sort of unconscious reassurance. 

 

“No, maybe I don’t but I do know what I feel for you and I’m not afraid.” Rose tried to make herself sound confident, even though on the inside she was nervous and even a little scared. 

 

“Well, you’re braver than me because I sure as hell am.” They both chuckled nervously at that. 

 

“Spend the night with me…” at Jean’s shocked reaction Rose clarified “Oh no, not like that, I mean, at least not yet...” Rose couldn’t help but blush at the thought of it. “But we don’t have much time left before you leave and I don’t want to waste it.” 

 

“What about Blanche and Sophia?”  

 

“I think the bed might get a little crowded... “ Jean rolled her eyes but smiled at the joke anyway. “I don’t care what they think, if being together makes us happy then they’ll just have to live with it.” 

 

“You really are serious about this aren’t you?”

 

“I would never joke around with someone else’s feelings. I’m only sorry it’s taken me this long to realise. But I’ve changed over the last couple of years; Dorothy getting remarried, the rest of us taking on this hotel without her, I’ve had to step up and wise-up.”

 

“I can certainly see that.” It had surprised Jean to see how strong and confident Rose had grown since she’d last seen her. “Perhaps you  _ didn’t _ realise how you felt before, or perhaps we  _ have _ just been friends and now the stars have aligned because the time is right for us. You’ve spent that time getting wise and in all honesty, looking back on it, I’m not sure I was completely ready to move on from Pat when we first met anyway.” 

 

“Perhaps you’re right but let’s not waste any more time.” They leaned in to kiss once again and this time they weren’t interrupted. 

 

***

  
  


The next morning Rose awoke in her own bed with an arm around her middle and a warm, wonderfully soft body wrapped around her from behind. She took in a deep breath and sighed in contentment. It might be different but it sure felt right. 

 

“Mornin’.” Jean mumbled softly in Rose’s ear and snuggled closer. Rose squeezed the arm around her middle before carefully turning over to face her companion. She smiled brightly and cupped her palm around Jean’s cheek. They inched closer and their lips met in a chaste kiss. “No regrets?” Jean asked, hoping that her voice didn’t betray her nervousness. 

 

“Only that I wish I’d told you sooner.” Rose’s face fell at the thought of saying goodbye later. 

 

“Everything has its right time and ours is now. Let’s not dwell on the things we can’t change and just live for the moment.” 

 

“But you’re going back to New York today, then what are we going to do?”

 

“Rose, as wonderful as this feels right now you need time and space to think, without me under your feet and clouding your judgement. Give yourself a few weeks to really think about what you want and if you still want to give us a try then come and visit me and we can take it from there.” Rose nodded sadly, understanding that Jean was right but not liking it all the same. 

 

“You’d better give me a little bit more to remember you by then…” Rose suggestively requested and Jean was hardly in a position to argue when the other woman half rolled on top of her and kissed her deeply. 

 

***

 

Breakfast was punctuated with small, affectionate kisses and touches. Blanche was positively green at the gills it was so nauseatingly sweet. But even she could see that Rose was happy, although they were definitely going to have a long talk once Jean had gone. Roland came in to inform them that the taxi had just turned up and took Jean’s suitcase out to the driver. The two women looked intensely at each other and met in a fierce kiss. Chuy shepherded Blanche and Sophia out of the room to give them a little privacy. 

 

“I’m gonna miss you so much.” Rose said after the kiss had wound down. 

 

“Me too but this isn’t the end, it’s only the beginning.” 

 

“I hope so. I love you Jean.” 

 

“I love you too Rose.” They kissed again but knew it was time to go. 

 

In the hotel lobby everyone had gathered to say goodbye and Jean hugged them all goodbye in turn. Rose stepped up last and wrapped her arms around her. She pressed a kiss to her cheek and then let her go. Jean turned back briefly to glance one last time at Rose before she walked through the door and into the taxi. Silent tears streamed down Rose’s cheeks and when it passed by the hotel entrance she ran off upstairs to her room sobbing. Roland elbowed Blanche in her side and indicated that she should go after Rose. She rolled her eyes dramatically but went anyway. 

 

Blanche found Rose in her room laying face down on her bed and crying into the duvet. She put a steadying hand on her back and gave her a little squeeze as she sat next to her. 

 

“Oh honey, I’m so sorry.” Rose spent a few more minutes allowing the tears to flow and heartbreak to wash over her. Eventually she righted herself and faced her friend. “Clearly something happened last night, did you two…?” 

 

“We didn’t sleep together, well we did but not in the biblical sense.” Blanche filed that titbit of information away for future reference. 

 

“So that’s it?” 

 

“I told her I loved her, she told me she did too. But she wants me to take some time to think about it because it’s about more than just starting a new relationship. We’ve the distance between us to navigate and then there’s the reaction of my family and friends…” Rose looked pointedly at Blanche then. It took Blanche a few moments and a lot of tamping down her natural instinct to throw a derogatory word or two in Rose’s direction but then she looked at her friend’s near enough heartbroken face. She’d been through the mill romantically over the last few years, initially not being brave enough to move on from her late husband and then being lied to and cheated on by the one man she’d come to love since. Blanche couldn’t even say that she didn’t like Jean, she’d been a lovely addition to their group for the week and had fit right in. 

 

“So what if Jean’s a woman? If she makes you happy then that’s all that matters.” Rose was so relieved and she threw her arms around Blanche. The other woman still had her reservations but she wasn't going to add to Rose's troubles, at least for now.

 

“Thank you Blanche, that means a lot.” 

 


End file.
